1. Field of the Invention
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to relief manufacturing apparatuses and relief manufacturing methods which perform engraving using a laser beam to manufacture a relief, and more particularly to a relief manufacturing apparatus and a relief manufacturing method which can easily form a microscopic and steep inclined face.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method is known in which engraving is performed by irradiating a laser beam on the surface of an engraving material to manufacture a relief having a concave and convex relief pattern; while a top face (for example, halftone dot) used as a printing area remains unchanged, an area surrounding the top face is removed by the irradiating laser beam, whereby a printing plate is manufactured.
Japanese Patent No. 3556204 discloses a method which performs on/off switching of the laser beam to repeatedly irradiate the laser beam plural times on the identical area of the material surface so that a deep concave portion is formed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-334674 discloses a laser processing method which irradiates, through a mask having a light shielding section and a transparent section, a laser beam of a given pattern on a resist film formed on the principal surface of a processed object. In this method, a plurality of masks having the light shielding films of a gradually enlarged width are used, and the laser beam is repeatedly irradiated on the resist film (thin-film), so that a staircase-shaped slope is formed.